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Faculty Profile: Assistant Professor/Clinical Brittany Teeter
A career in the laboratory wasn’t always part of the plan for Assistant Professor/Clinical Brittany Teeter, MS, CLS, MLS (ASCP). Instead, her role a medical laboratory scientist began as a practical choice that made sense for her and her family and evolved into a career she continues to shape with an eye to the future.
“If you do something well, you kind of owe it to society to help others do it well, too,” Teeter said of her decision to go all in on the medical laboratory sciences profession.
OT professor serves on board of Project MEND
Associate Professor Ana Allegretti, PhD, OTR, ATP, was elected in May to serve on the board of directors of Project MEND, a nonprofit that provides refurbished medical equipment to people in San Antonio and Texas.
Aphasia summer program focuses on communication and connection
With the continued goal of helping people with aphasia improve their ability to communicate while forming important social connections, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders hosted its third annual summer aphasia program in June and July.
An estimated 2 million people in the United States live with aphasia, a communication disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand language and communicate. About one in three people who have a stroke experience aphasia, said program organizer Assistant Professor Cathy Torrington Eaton, PhD, CCC-SLP.
OT chair is president-elect of Shine Academy
Department of Occupational Therapy Chair and Professor Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, PhD, OTR, has been elected president-elect of The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine Academy of Health Science Education.
Piernik-Yoder, who served as chair of the academy’s education committee for the past two years, will begin her two-year term in March 2024.
Communication sciences and disorders professor receives Spectrum Award
Communication Sciences and Disorders Assistant Professor Rocio Norman, PhD, CCC-SLP, received the 2023 School of Health Professions Spectrum Award.
The annual Spectrum Award recognizes one faculty member for all-around excellence and exceptional contributions in teaching, research and service. Receiving the award has confirmed her journey as a researcher and educator, Norman said.
PA Studies students don white coats
Students in the Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2025 slipped on their white coats in a ceremony symbolizing their transition from classroom learning to clinical rotations.
The ceremony, held May 15, featured comments from School of Health Professions Dean David Shelledy, PhD, RRT, FAARC, FASAHP, and Associate Program Director and Associate Chair of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies Steven A. “Tony” Skaggs, PhD, MPS, PA-C.
The white coat represents a duty to patients, Skaggs told the students.
MLS students celebrate profession with a little friendly competition
Celebrated on campus in late April, the 48th Medical Laboratory Professionals Week included a microscope scavenger hunt and other fun and games intended to raise awareness of a profession that isn’t as well known as other health professions.
School hosts first-ever career fair for health professions students
The School of Health Professions held its first-ever career fair on April 27, bringing dozens of employers to campus to meet with students.
The school’s graduates are sought after by employers, said Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs David Henzi, EdD, FASAHP.
“The School of Health Professions educates a student population which is in high demand from local hospital and clinical settings,” Henzi said. “It was great to have many of those partners in attendance for the first School of Health Professions career fair.”
Health professions students inducted into Alpha Eta Society
For Doctor of Occupational Therapy student Elise Gray, being inducted into the Alpha Eta Society with 37 other students represents the value of teamwork among the health professions.
“The induction ceremony signifies not just our individual accomplishments but also our commitment to the interdisciplinary teamwork that is at the heart of optimal patient care,” Gray said.
Students travel to Colombia and India over spring break
School of Health Professions students traveled overseas during spring break to learn about health professions education and professional practice in Colombia and India.
Three students from UT Health San Antonio, including two from the School of Health Professions and one from the School of Nursing, traveled to Bogota, Colombia, in March. They were accompanied by Division of Respiratory Care Professor Ruben Restrepo, MD, RRT, FAARC, FCCP, and Department of Physician Assistant Studies Assistant Professor and Associate Clinical Coordinator Leticia Bland, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C.
Student wins American Occupational Therapy Foundation scholarship
Second-year Doctor of Occupational Therapy student Kathryn Hiles has won the Charles Christiansen and Beth Jones Endowed Scholarship from the American Occupational Therapy Foundation.
“These are extremely competitive awards, and it is truly testament to Kathryn's impactful leadership and contributions to the program, university and community to be selected as a 2023 recipient,” said Department of Occupational Therapy Chair and Professor Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, PhD, OTR. The scholarship award is just over $1,400.
Leadership podcast: School of Health Professions Dean David Shelledy
School of Health Professions Dean David Shelledy, PhD, RRT, RPFT, FAARC, FASAHP, is featured in Episode 20 of the Leadership Podcast produced by the UT Health San Antonio Staff Advisory Council. Listen as he describes his own career path, his love of teaching and playing trumpet, and his thoughts on leadership.
Physical therapy students receive white coats
The 47 students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2024 received their white coats on April 7 in a ceremony representing their move from classroom learning to the clinical phase of the program.
“It’s a symbol of your dedication to the profession, service and the provision of the best possible patient care,” David Henzi, EdD, associate dean of academic and student affairs for the School of Health Professions, told the students assembled in Holly Auditorium.
Faculty and students present, compete at Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention
Students and faculty of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders participated in the 67th Annual Convention and Exhibition of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA), held in Austin in late February.
As vice president of education and scientific affairs on TSHA’s executive board, Director of Clinical Education and Assistant Professor Angela Kennedy, SLP-D, CCC-SLP, served as the convention’s coordinator. Assistant Professor Casey Taliancich-Klinger, PhD, CCC-SLP, served as the volunteer and scholarship chair.
SHP President’s Council gains tools for a lifetime of leadership
First-year students on the School of Health Professions Presidents Council attended a new program designed to help them develop leadership and communication skills that will apply during their time at UT Health San Antonio and beyond.
PA students perform health checks at UT Education and Research Center at Laredo open house
Physician assistant studies students provided health screenings to attendees of a March 25 open house at The University of Texas Education and Research Center at Laredo.
Students performed Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure and glucose screenings, said Leticia Bland, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor/clinical and admissions chair of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies.
Imaging Sciences program director selected for leadership development program
The director of the new Master of Science in Imaging Sciences program is one of 19 participants from across the country chosen for the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) 2023 Leadership Development Program.
Free community health fair to offer screening, testing and healthy living information
All members of the community are invited to a health fair that will be hosted on April 1 by UT Health San Antonio’s School of Health Professions.
The health fair will provide an opportunity for people to undergo a variety of screening tests and receive important health information, said event organizer Terri Murphy-Sanchez, MS, MLS: CSMLS, ASCPCM, assistant professor and program director in the Division of Medical Laboratory Sciences.
School of Health Professions welcomes new associate dean for administrative affairs
The School of Health Professions in January welcomed Nicholas Dudley, the new associate dean for administrative affairs.
Physical Therapy Early Admissions Program student shares path to profession
First-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student Daniel Laereman plans to help fellow military veterans and active duty personnel rehabilitate from their injuries.
“My goal is to get back into the military as a commissioned officer for physical therapy,” Laereman said. “I have met a lot of former Marines and Air Force and Army personnel who get injured in different ways. I want to help them continue their careers in the military. It’s everything from the loss of a limb to simple injuries that prevent them from doing their jobs.”
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